Brian Parsons Joins Willis to Lead Canadian Operations

Key Leadership Appointment Boosts Natural Resources Capabilities in Canada


NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE:WSH), the global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker, has appointed Brian Parsons as National Partner and CEO, Willis Canada. Mr. Parsons has deep experience in the insurance brokerage, risk management and natural resources industry. He joins Willis after spending 22 years with Marsh Canada, where he held a variety of leadership roles. Most recently he served as the National Practice Leader for Marsh's Mining Practice. He will report to Todd Jones, CEO, Willis North America.

Willis Canada offers a full range of employee benefit, insurance and risk management solutions to clients in every sector, with strong market positioning in the energy and mining, renewable power, forest products, financial institutions, construction, real estate and technology sectors. The business is supported by over 250 insurance professionals serving national and multinational clients from offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

In this role, Mr. Parsons will be responsible for the strategic direction of Willis North America's Canada operations focusing on business development and expanding Willis' footprint in the marketplace, while aligning resources from across Willis' global platform to deliver industry leading solutions and services to Willis clients. Mr. Parsons will work closely with Willis' Global Industries and product leaders, including Natural Resources, to deliver the full range of insurance solutions to clients.

Commenting on the appointment, Todd Jones said, "We are thrilled to welcome Brian to Willis. His deep experience in the insurance and risk management industry combined with his specialty expertise in serving the natural resources industry will help us deepen our value proposition to clients and grow our business across Canada. This appointment underscores our commitment to the Canadian marketplace and better positions us to deliver on our goal to be the premier partner to local firms."

Mr. Parsons said, "I am excited about the opportunities ahead. The challenges facing the Canadian business community today are global in scope and organizations demand innovative solutions. With its global platform, advanced analytics capabilities and deep industry specializations, Willis stands ready to deliver innovative risk management strategies and solutions so that our clients have the greatest opportunity for success."

Based in Toronto, Mr. Parsons has over 22 years of experience in the industry. Previously he was responsible for Marsh's Mining, Power and Energy business in Central Canada. Prior to this, Brian held leadership roles overseeing Marsh's operations in Saskatchewan and Calgary. Brian began his career with Johnson and Higgins Willis Faber.

For more information on Willis Canada please visit www.willis.ca.

About Willis

Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker. With roots dating to 1828, Willis operates today on every continent with more than 18,000 employees in over 400 offices. Willis offers its clients superior expertise, teamwork, innovation and market-leading products and professional services in risk management and transfer. Our experts rank among the world's leading authorities on analytics, modelling and mitigation strategies at the intersection of global commerce and extreme events. Find more information at our website,www.willis.com, our leadership journal, Resilience, or our up-to-the-minute blog on breaking news, WillisWire. Across geographies, industries and specialisms, Willis provides its local and multinational clients with resilience for a risky world.



            

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